Kathmandu, September 29
The government has said the investigation into the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is still ongoing after new facts emerged during the probe.
Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel, who is also the government spokesperson, said the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police was continuing its investigation into ANFA.
“After two people were taken into custody and investigated, additional information came to light, so the CIB has become more active in the investigation,” Pokharel said. “The investigation will proceed through the normal process.”
Pokharel also said the government was preparing to resume domestic football leagues after football activities were disrupted following ANFA’s suspension.
“We are preparing to operate the domestic leagues,” he said.
The minister said Nepal’s inability to win medals at the international level was partly due to insufficient investment in grassroots sports.
“The reason we have not been able to win medals is that we have not invested properly at the grassroots level,” he said. “Even today, our sports infrastructure is not adequate. There are not enough places to play football or cricket, and there are not enough covered halls.”
He said the lack of investment by the state, rather than a lack of effort by athletes, was a major problem.
Pokharel said the government had moved ahead with a plan to build sports infrastructure at 27 locations across the country’s seven provinces as part of its efforts to develop sports from the grassroots level.
